New Zealand rugby union great Jonah Lomu dies aged 40

New Zealand rugby union great Jonah Lomu dies aged 40

New Zealand is mourning one of its greatest sporting heroes after the former All Blacks player Jonah Lomu died unexpectedly in Auckland on Wednesday at the age of 40.

Lomu, who scored 43 tries and played 63 Tests for New Zealand between 1994 and 2002, was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition while still playing.

It forced him to quit the game and he had a kidney transplant in 2004, but it stopped functioning in 2011.

Lomu made his Test debut in 1994 against France in Christchurch. He spent time in the UK recently for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

He had recently travelled to the UK for the Rugby World Cup, during which he worked with tournament sponsors. He and his family holidayed in Dubai on their way back to New Zealand and Lomu had tweeted from there as recently as Monday.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said: “The thoughts of the entire country are with his family.”

As well as playing for several domestic teams in his homeland, Lomu made 10 appearances for Cardiff Blues in Wales, shortly before his retirement in 2007.New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said: “The thoughts of the entire country are with his family.”